Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-01-31

and watching the tongues of flame
as they reduced the maple sticks to
burning Goals; and as he gazed upon
them he sang, in cracked tones, a
stanza of a hymn which was one of
| his favorites -
Father, I thank thee, may no thonghts
Fer dim thy chaStisements severe,
| And NAV this heart by folly taught
| Calm each wild wish, each frantic fear.
In his youth. he had led the choir
in the village church-and in his age,
he still liked to hear the sound of his
own voice, attuned to praising the
Lord. As he sang he thought of
those who had gone before him to
join the invisible choir that sings the
| praises of the Lamb amid the throng
of the blessed-which he hoped so
soon to join, for death had lost all its
sting for him, and he awaited his sum-
mons with the peaceful happiness
which only belongs to the evening of
a well-spent life.
Mr.. Harrison had lost his wife
eight years before; his only daugh-
ter was comfortably settled in home
of her own, but his only son had bro't
his family to the old homestead and
had arranged with his father to carry
on the farm ''to halves the old man
retaining the management, ostensibly,
and doing what he pleased. He had
kept the old nursery for his bedroom
and shared the sitting-roOm and dim
1ng-room with his sons family. But
as age crept over him he had found
the quiet of his own room more agree
| able to him. and he was accustomed
to sit there during the long winter
evenings and read the daily newspa
per, while his son often joined him to
discuss the business Of the farm and
to talk upon the politics Of the day,
for Mr.. Harrison's mind still retained
its vigor. And as he sat and unused
and hummed the times he used to
delight in singing, Thomas, his son,
opened the door and the old man
said -
s'Come in, Tom, Come right in ,
I'm thinking of the old times when
you were baby, and mother sat here
and she and l sang together the
old tunes we learned at singing
school, where we fell in love with
each other. Oh, how happy we were =!
OF course, we had our crosses to bear
shouldn't been human if we hadn't.
'Tain't the lot of mortals to enjoy all
sunshine, or hear all storms. And
was sot in my way. l know that l
wouldn't give in easy. Suthin' of the
bulldog about me, and you, too, for
that matter. We've both got the
square jaw that tells of the 'have-
your-own-way-folks,' havn't we,
Tom?
But she was as likely a woman as
] ever got my eyes on,-pretty as a
picter and smart as chain lightning
Yet when she began to dispute she
wouldn't hold out long and alters let
me have the last word, SO there were
not long quarrelings 'twixt US. Then
r l. 7 %hA,,Crb+
about it, as 1 plowed or moved or
reaped or drove the oxen, and when
| went to the village I'd bring her
suthin' ,-praps new dress or rib
bon, if nothing else a quarter of
pound of candy. Wimmen folks like
sweet things, you know, Tom, and
they would alters do the business for
me and she'd give me a kiss in re-
turn, and so it was all honey-pie with
US again. And I've been thinking
about her this New Years eve. Six
ty-two years ago l married her-and
vet she comes to me tonight as young
and fresh and blooming as on that
happy day. And l forget the years
that have passed, my heart forgets
all aches and ails, and / dream that
we are young together, and when you
opened the door / was talking with
her, didn't you hear me: Do you
think that l am losing my senses, that
| say these things, Tom? Not bit !,
Not bit l tell you if you live to
be eighty-three years old you will
live in the past more than in the
present. l am old,-dropping down
like the sere and yellow leaf-soon
to be trodden under foot
And the old man sighed heavily,
as at the awakening from a pleasant
dream to a sad reality.
Eyes, father, yes - said Tom you
are growing old and feeble, and Mary
and l have been thinking that you
ought not to do any more work, but
just sit beside a fireplace, and let US
take care of YOU
'Well, well,'' said the old man
testify, Il don't know about that.
I've got some muscle left yet-ain't
quite antiquated, like old Scott, who
is ninety-two. L guess there's some
work left in my old bones still. What
are YOU aiming at, Tom: Out with it
I'm alters downright and to the point.
You know | don't beat round the
bush.''
''Well, father, we thought" Z" said
Tom, MARY and THAT perhaps you
would deed us the farm and its APP
purtenances, and let US promise to
take care of you while YOU live
81 don't know about that" said
Mr.. Harrison .sI've hearn tell of